Is there a chance they would go the replacement player route like they did during one of the strikes?
Good question. I do not know.
My guess is that all the major sports are going to have to get their respective player's unions to agree with all of these ideas for play during the coronavirus crisis. Now if the unions don't agree or if the union vote is approved going forward, but there is a sizeable amount of players that say they still won't show then, it could be game on between owners and players in these sports.
The NBA, I read, has the legal ability to pull off a nuclear option and just rip up the current CBA, so that would essentially start a lockout by the owners. Guaranteed as part of that option is invoking the forced majeure clause that would allow the NBA to hold back or make the players pay back up to 25% of their salaries.
I guess if the MLB and NFL doesn't get their way they could do something similar by locking out players and trying replacement players. But, let's face it, neither league had a good experience going that route in the past, so maybe that's not an option. I just don't know.
I really don't know enough about the hockey labor relations with ownership to comment on that situation.